The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
